Berner to Add Soy to Product Offerings Via Plant Addition
By Hilary Wilson, Assistant Editor, Cheese Market News
Berner Cheese is adding onto its processing plant in Rock City, IL, to allow for production of soy solids for fluid milk and other soy-based dairy alternative products. When complete in mid-August, the facility will be one of the larger soymilk operations in the nation, says Steve Fay, vice president, Berner Cheese.
Though the plant is a secure facility with proprietary and patented technology, Fay does say the technology provides distinct economic advantages to the company. The main thrust of the products' development, however, has involved taste rather than economy, he adds.
"We promised ourselves early on that if we couldn't hit 90% plus of the flavor profile of a normal (dairy-based) product, we wouldn't offer it to the market," Fay says, adding that the company has reached its flavor goals.
The company plans to offer soy-based alternatives to sour cream, cream cheese and other dips for the private label retail, foodservice and industrial package markets. Fay also says Berner will offer, to the tune of 50,000 gallons per day, highly-concentrated, bulk soymilk concentrates from this facility for product production by other soy processors.
In other company news, Berner Cheese is expanding its retort technology capabilities.
The company has installed four retorters (with two additional retorters on order) and estimates that once all six retort lines are operational, Berner will be able to produce in excess of 50 million pounds of retort products per year.
The added retort technology will allow Berner to manufacture several new products for private label production, including a salsa con queso dip, alfredo sauce and an additional offering of 15 to 20 specialty sauces.
The company already uses retort technology to produce its line of aerosol fruit and vegetable toppings. Berner executives say they hope to have the new retorters in production by July 1.
On the product development side, Berner also recently introduced a naturally-cultured filled milk cheese.
The cheeses was developed as a healthy alternative to natural cheeses and is 80% cholesterol-reduced and 70% saturated fat- reduced, with soy replacing the butterfat that would normally be present in the cheese, the company says. In addition, the filled milk cheese retains all of the melt and shred characteristics of a natural cheese, Berner representatives add.
The new cheese is available in four flavors for the deli case — Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Lacy Swiss and Marble Jack. Sizes for the cheeses range from 8 to 12-lb loaves, all of which carry a seven month shelf-life, the company says, adding that distribution of the cheese will begin in early July.
Two or three additional naturally-cultured filled milk cheeses currently are in development, the company adds.
For more information, contact Steve Fay, 11824 Main St., Roscoe, IL 61073, 800-819-8199, 815-623-1722, FAX 815-623-1622, website: www.bernercheese. com. CMN
Other top stories in this week's issue of Cheese Market News:
• Industry grapples with inventory figures, new Class IV contract
• Cautious optimism marks organic standard comments
• Inventories of butter, cheese rose in May, NASS reports
• Milk production in May up 2.6% over previous year
For more information, click to Cheese Market News.